Passport to Texas

State Parks: Fishing for Rainbows Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Get to a state park with fishing opportunities while there’s still a chill in the air for your chance to reel in the last of the rainbow trout. Out state park guide Bryan Frazier explains.

The water temperature has to stay below a certain temperature for the rainbow trout to do well, and February’s a great time, because it’s usually the last month that there’ll be stockings for rainbow trout.

It’s a great reason to get outside during what’s typically a mild winter in Texas, and enjoy something else. It’s a new slant on fishing, and you can do it this time of year when you don’t necessarily think about fishing. But. It’s even better for rainbow trout when it’s cold.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

State Parks: Campfires Allowed Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Starting a campfire in a state park this past summer wasn’t just a bad idea, it was terribly dangerous given the drought, and so it was banned. But now that winter’s here and we’ve had some rain, we can start to cozy up to campfires again. Our State Park Guide Bryan Frazier has details.

48— With the drought that we had in Texas, most people are understanding that that affects everything we do. And at the end of the summer—at the apex of that drought—we had burn bans in more than 200 counties here in Texas.

And so it’s a nice natural place to gather. So having those burn bans lifted in most of our counties is really good news for a lot of people who want to get out and enjoy an old fashioned campfire for their camping experience.

Thanks Bryan.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

State Parks: Hiking at Meridian State Park Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Now that the weather has cooled folks visiting state parks can do what they like best—take a hike. Bryan Frazier suggests hikers stretch their legs on the refurbished trails of Meridian State Park.

60— Hiking is the most popular activity that people seek out in a park. And Meridian State Park had the AmeriCorps crew out there to develop the trails.

So check out Meridian State Park. It’s up near the town of Meridian–Northwest of Waco when you get up near the Granbury area–it’s not too terribly far from there; come back toward the Fort Worth area. It’s right in through there in Meridian.

Thanks Bryan.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

State Parks: Hiking at Lake Brownwood Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

What’s the activity visitors say they enjoy most when at a state park? Bryan Frazier has the answer as well as a great place in which to do it…whatever it is.

60— Some recent visitor surveys that we did on site in state parks showed that the most popular feature and activity that people are looking for in a state park is hiking. It really fits well with our
mission, because in a lot of our parks, we’re renovating trails and making those better and bigger and flatter and more accessible.

People will be pleasantly surprised when they get there. It’s in the Hill Country area kind of where the panhandle plains meets the hill country…it’s southeast of Abilene, just outside the town of Brownwood.

Thanks Bryan.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Visiting Parks to Save Them Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drought, heat and wildfires of the summer dried up water, killed vegetation and kept visitation and revenue to a minimum…which is why we need your help. Our State park guide Bryan Frazier has details.

60—The record heat wave that we had—and the drought and the wildfires combined—so that we saw for the first time in a long time a drop in visitation and corresponding revenue toward the end of the summer that’s carried over into the fall and into the months where we are now, and it’s made for a 4.6 million dollar gap in our existing budget. And what we’re wanting people to know is that there are ways they can help…and that they can go online on our website any time and make a donation. They can also as of now, donate five dollars or more when they register their vehicle with the DMV and their county tax office. But the most important way that people can help is to simply go out and visit their state parks as much as they can. The fees that we collect amount to more than half of our operating dollars ion state parks. And, when people pay the entrance fees, when people pay their camping fees, or their cabin rental fees, or even when they buy a t-short in the state park store as a souvenir—they’re helping support their parks when they’re out there visiting them.

Go to texasstateparks.org/helpnow to donate.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.